THE horse's foot, AND HOW TO SHOE IT. 2G1 



it well and properly, as we say in France, — shoes 

 become indispensably necessary. 



" I therefore ask all amateur horsemen to insure their 

 horses as much as they can against this pretended per- 

 fection. It may be asked. What will become of the 

 horny sole if it is never pared ? and it may be feared, 

 that, by its growth, the foot will become overgrown. 

 Not at all ; for, in proportion to its growth, it dries, be- 

 comes flaky, and falls off in layers. 



" The compressions so dangerous, which cause inflam- 

 mation, would no more be dreaded if we left the horn 

 of the sole, the bars, and the frog, entire. By their 

 pliability, thickness, flexibility, texture, and the situa- 

 tion they occupy, they appear to be solely destined by 

 Nature to serve as a defence to the vascular sole, as the 

 frog particularly acts as a cushion to the tendon Achilles ; 

 all being disposed to obviate shock on paved roads, 

 or injury from a stone, splinter, &c. 



''It is necessary to be convinced of another fact: this 

 is, that it is rare that a horse goes at his ease, and is 

 not promptly fatigued, if the frog does not touch the 

 ground. As it is the only point of support, if you 

 raise it from the ground by paring it, there arises an 

 inordinate extension of the tendon, caused by the push- 

 ing of the coronary against the navicular bone, as has 

 been mentioned above, and which, being repeated at 

 every step the animal takes, fatigues it, and induces in- 

 flammation. From thence often arises the distention of 

 the sheaths of tendons (inolettes ; vulgo^ ' windgalls '), 



